# ALTA Survey vs Boundary Survey: What Each One Shows | FOUND An ALTA survey ties the boundary to the title record. How it differs from a boundary survey, what each one shows, and who orders each one, and when. Canonical: https://lotsfound.com/insights/alta-survey/ ## ALTA survey vs boundary survey: what each one shows An ALTA survey is a boundary survey that also answers to the title record, drawn to a national standard and certified to the buyer, the lender, and the title insurer. A boundary survey locates the lines and corners. Commercial deals usually need the first. Most owners need only the second. ## What an ALTA survey is An ALTA survey is a land title survey prepared to the minimum standards adopted jointly by the American Land Title Association and the National Society of Professional Surveyors. Its full name is an ALTA/NSPS land title survey. The surveyor locates the boundary, then reads the title commitment and shows on the drawing each recorded matter that affects the land. ## How it differs from a boundary survey An ALTA survey differs from a boundary survey in scope, in the standard it follows, and in who relies on it. A boundary survey follows the state's standards of practice and answers one question: where are the lines and corners? An ALTA survey follows those same state rules and the national standard. It also answers to a title commitment, and the surveyor certifies it to named parties such as the buyer, the lender, and the title insurer. ## What each survey shows A boundary survey shows the property lines and the corners that mark them. It usually includes these items. - **Lines.** Each boundary line with its bearing and distance. - **Corners.** Monuments the surveyor found, and new ones the surveyor set. - **Nearby improvements.** Buildings, fences, and driveways close to a line. - **Area.** The total area inside the lines. An ALTA survey shows all of that and adds more. - **Title matters.** Each recorded easement or restriction from the title commitment that can be located, with a note on the ones that cannot. - **Evidence of use.** Paths, utility poles, and ditches that can point to an easement nobody recorded. - **Access.** Whether the land touches a public road. - **Encroachments.** Buildings or fences that cross a line in either direction. - **Optional items.** Extras the client picks from a list in the standard called Table A, such as flood zone, zoning setbacks, utilities, and contours. ## Who orders each survey and when Buyers, lenders, and title insurers drive the ALTA survey. It is the usual survey for commercial, industrial, and large land purchases, and for the loans behind them. The lender often sets which Table A items the survey must include. The title insurer uses the survey to decide whether it can remove or narrow the survey exception in the policy. Owners and residential buyers usually order a boundary survey. They need one before a fence, an addition near a line, or a sale of part of a tract. The survey is one item on the [land due diligence checklist](/insights/land-due-diligence-checklist/). ## What a survey settles that county maps cannot A survey settles where the lines fall on the ground, and county parcel maps cannot. The county draws its parcel map from deeds and plats for tax purposes. Its lines can sit offset from the aerial image, and its acreage can differ from the deed. It shows no encroachments and places no easements with precision. We read the county map to identify the land and its neighbors. See [parcel and boundary records](/what-we-check/parcels-and-boundaries/). A survey then measures the tract, and an easement located on the drawing can change the usable area. See [gross acres vs net acres](/insights/gross-acres-vs-net-acres/). ## What it means for land For a seller, an existing survey removes a question every serious buyer asks. For a buyer, the ALTA survey can be the first document to show an easement across the best building area. Order it early, while you still have time to act. ## Questions ### Is an ALTA survey required to buy commercial land? No law requires one. Lenders and title insurers often require one for commercial loans and for broader title coverage. Your lender, your title insurer, and your real estate attorney tell you what your transaction needs. ### Can an older survey be reused? Sometimes. A surveyor can often update a prior survey, which can save work. Lenders and title insurers usually want a recent survey certified to the current parties, so ask them before you rely on an old one. ### Who can prepare an ALTA survey in North Carolina? A professional land surveyor licensed in North Carolina prepares and seals the survey. A real estate attorney reviews it against the title commitment. Transactions are handled through a licensed North Carolina real estate brokerage.